John McCain: Thirty Quotes From the Conservative Candidate

With all the attention paid by the media on why conservatives have no love for John McCain, we decided to go looking for McCain quotes that might possibly explain the animosity on both sides.

We found 30 (actually 31, but we like round numbers).

So here are 30 John McCain Quotes, plus 10 bonus quotes about McCain.

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"The first thing that I would do is call in John Kerry, Bob Kerrey, Joe Biden, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, Dick Lugar, Chuck Hagel, and several others and say, ‘We’ve got to get foreign policy, national security issues back on track.'"

"Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded."

--John McCain

"Dishonest and dishonorable."

--John McCain, on the Swift Boats Vets

The problem... is that most members of Congress don't pay attention to what's going on.

--John McCain

"F**k you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room."

--to Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), during a testy exchange about immigration legislation

"Never get into a wrestling match with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it."

--Senator John McCain said in New Hampshire in January after reporters asked him about Mr. Romney.

"As a governor and senator, John Chafee set the standard for honesty and decency that the rest of us on our best days could only dream to emulate."

--John McCain on fellow RINO, ex-senator Chaffee

“I am concerned that repeal of the estate tax would provide massive benefits solely to the wealthiest and highest-income taxpayers in the country. A Treasury Department study found that almost no estate tax has been paid by lower- and middle-income taxpayers. But taxes have been paid on the estates of people who were in the highest 20% of the income distribution at the time of their death. It found that 91% of all estate taxes are paid by the estates of people whose annual income exceeded $190,000 around the time of their death."

"John Kerry is a very close friend of mine. We've been friends for years. Obviously, I would entertain it."

--When asked if he would entertain being Kerry's VP if asked, 3/10/04

"Just by coincidence, Senator Teddy Kennedy and I, in the last couple of days, after several months of negotiations, have reached an agreement for an immigration proposal that we will be putting out next week, ... our proposal is along the lines of make them pay a fine of a couple thousand dollars, make them work for three years, and after three years they can get in the back of the line for a green card and then eventually become citizens."

--John McCain on Immigration

"I believe that marijuana is a gateway drug. That is my view and that's the view of the federal drug czar and other experts, although that is also a debatable question. I think that there is much more effective ways of relieving pain and suffering than the use of marijuana, and so therefore I view it as something that I do not support. That's just my considered opinion, I'd be glad to receive additional information."

--(August 11, 2007, house party in Milton, New Hampshire)

"Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father."

--at a 1998 Republican fundraiser

"Presidential ambition is a disease that can only be cured by embalming fluid."

--John McCain, on why he's running

“In the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade”

--John McCain, on Roe V. Wade

"By the way, I think the fence is least effective. But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it."

--John McCain, on immigration 2/07

"Thanks for the question, you little jerk."

-- John McCain, after being asked by a high school student if he was too old to be president. For good measure, McCain then threatened to draft him.

"Turn yourself in so we can send you back to Mexico, ... It's not going to happen."

--John McCain, on enforcing present immigration laws

"I am sure that Senator Clinton would make a good President. I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good President."

--On possible opponent, Hillary Clinton 2/20/05

"It is my sincere hope that even if you believe I have occasionally erred in my reasoning as a fellow conservative, you will still allow that I have, in many ways important to all of us, maintained the record of a conservative."

--John McCain, on asking conservatives to support him as a conservative

"I believe my party has gone astray. I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy."

--John McCain in 2004

" Of course they didn't expect to receive benefits they had to pay here illegally ... The whole thrust of this legislation is to give them not only Social Security benefits but, as importantly, the protections under the law, as they now live in the shadows and are exploited and mistreated in many cases."

--John McCain, on immigration April 2, 2004

"Only an a**hole would put together a budget like this... I wouldn't call you an a**hole unless you really were an a**hole."

"Get started today and fill out your bracket to be eligible to win a McCain 2008 fleece, hat or pin for your prognostication prowess."

-- Sen. John McCain's campaign website.

"Gambling on amateur athletics is wrong."

-- McCain, in a statement introducing legislation in May 2003 to ban gambling on amateur sports.

“I don’t think the governor’s tax cut is too big—it’s just misplaced. Sixty percent of the benefits from his tax cuts go to the wealthiest 10% of Americans—and that’s not the kind of tax relief that Americans need. … Gov. Bush wants to spend the entire surplus on tax cuts. I don’t believe the wealthiest 10% of Americans should get 60% of the tax breaks. I think the lowest 10% should get the breaks. …

"I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I'd rather have the clean government."

--John McCain, on the choices between respecting the Constitution and Bill of Right and McCain-Feingold 4/29/06

But please know, whether you believe campaign contributions are speech or property, that I learned to love very dearly the right of free expression when I lived without that freedom for a while a long time ago. --John McCain

10 Quotes about John McCain

You know there will be three things in a John McCain sentence: a noun, a verb and a reference to his being a P.O.W.

--paraphrase of a Joseph Biden quote about Rudy Giuliani

"Congratulations to Senator John McCain, the big winner in Florida. ... You know, this was what they call a GOP-only primary. So McCain had to win over a whole new voter group for him -- Republicans."

--Jay Leno

"He said that anyone who said that he [McCain] supported amnesty is a "liar".

--Washington Times editorial, 1/25/08

"John Kerry said I can't tell you how proud I am to have John Edwards on my team, especially after John McCain turned me down."

--Jay Leno

"John Edwards is on the campaign trail. He's now doing something called his 'Poverty Tour', where he's visiting people who have no money and no hope. In fact, his first stop today: John McCain's headquarters."

--Jay Leno

"The thought of [McCain] being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

-- Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who has known McCain for 35 years.

“I’d rather slit a vein than vote for John McCain.” Nice bumper sticker. Many conservatives aren’t just saying “No” to John McCain. They’re saying, “Hell, no!”

--unnamed woman at GOP event

"Congratulations to John McCain. He was a big winner up in New Hampshire. Fascinating comeback story, this John McCain, quite a guy. Highly decorated veteran. Spent five and a half years in prison then went into politics. Usually it's the other way around."

--Jay Leno

"I work with the community in the United States, the Mexican community because I don't want them essentially going native on us. We want them continually tied emotionally, linguistically, politically to Mexico, because then they'll continue to send money home."

--Juan Hernandez, Hispanic outreach director for John McCain

"Mexico first!"

--Hernandez

"He opposes oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska and has joined with Sen. Joe Lieberman to cosponsor legislation that would require that greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 2000 levels by 2010 — a measure sure to result in substantial increases in electricity and gasoline costs."